Starting a business through govt’s PBR

TODAY, a smart businessman can download a government form, fill up the required information and submit it online for business registration without necessarily going to such offices as SSS, BIR, Pagibig, Philhealth, SEC and DTI. The simplified process under the Philippine Business Registry or PBR is as convenient as going to an internet kiosk with the help of a DTI Teller or user can directly register online based on the briefings conducted by officials of the Department of Trade and Industry-PBR Office.

DTI-CAR Regional Director Myrna Pablo during a recent PBR orientation in Baguio said that the interconnection of systems involving these partnering agencies is another milestone for DTI and partner agencies that should now be put into action.

Briefing her counterparts in the region, Rhoda Del Rosario of DTI-PBR Office said that business applications for sole proprietorship can already be accommodated online and after the PBR launching at the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, corporate applications can likewise be processed virtually.

The Philippines Business Registry is a Government-initiated project that facilitates business registration-related transactions by integrating agencies involved in business registration, such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission), Cooperative Development Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Home Development Mutual Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Local Government Units (LGUs). The PBR is expected to provide a faster process for business registration, thus strengthening the government’s effort of providing quality service to the people and realizing its commitment to curb corruption and reduce red tape in the bureaucracy.

The PBR according to Del Rosario is a web-based system that serves as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs who need to transact with several agencies to be able to start operating a business. Applicants need not physically go to each agency to register their businesses because these agencies are already interlinked with PBR computerized registration systems added Del Rosario.

Accordingly, applicants under sole proprietorships can already validate existing and register their Business Names from the DTI, get or validate their existing Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) from the BIR and employer registration numbers from the Social Security System (SSS). Likewise, applicants can also register and follow up their registration with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) through the PBR system.

Sole proprietors who do not have computers and access to the internet in their locality can register from available computer cafés or go to DTI Offices with designated PBR Kiosks or tellers and register through them. Application through a teller will involve submission of a filled up application form which may be downloaded from the website or completed and printed by the public online for submission to the PBR kiosks or tellers. For more information about PBR, please get in touch with DTI Provincial offices in your area.